Home Educational Technology Supporting Isha’s Journey: The Making of Spell Blast at DAS

Educational Technology

Supporting Isha’s Journey: The Making of Spell Blast at DAS

By Janitha Panicker, Senior Educational Therapist

When Isha, a student from Tanglin, first reached out through the DAS website, she was looking for guidance on her school project. Her goal was to design and build a manipulative to support young children with learning challenges, and she wanted advice from educators experienced in helping students with dyslexia and other learning differences.

From Concept to Collaboration

We first connected in July 2024, and shortly after, I met Isha in person at the DAS Centre. During the visit, I introduced her to some of the teaching resources and literacy tools developed for our students. These examples sparked new ideas for her project and shaped the early direction of her work.

To ensure her design addressed real learning needs, Isha requested insights on students’ areas of difficulty. Using this data, she brainstormed nine possible designs, later narrowing them to three through feedback and reflection. Finally, she selected one concept to bring to life: Spell Blast.

Designing Spell Blast

Prototype: The Spell Blast manipulative with word tiles, created to make phonics practice interactive and engaging.

Throughout the design phase, Isha consistently showed dedication and creativity. She frequently scheduled Google Meet sessions to present her prototypes, ask questions, and seek feedback. Each time, I reminded her to align her design with the learning outcomes she wanted children to achieve.

Her willingness to refine her ideas based on feedback was impressive. Step by step, she developed Spell Blast, a vibrant manipulative featuring colourful letter tiles and spelling activities that make phonics practice fun and purposeful.

A Perfect Score and Lasting Impact

Spell Blast, complete with instruction manual and colourful word tiles.

Isha’s effort paid off. She scored a perfect 100/100 for her project. More importantly, she expressed heartfelt gratitude when she delivered Spell Blast to DAS. She also shared her interest in volunteering with DAS to continue supporting children who learn differently.

Mentoring Isha through this journey has been truly rewarding. Spell Blast is more than just a school project, it’s an example of how creativity, persistence, and educational purpose can come together to create meaningful tools that make learning more engaging for children with dyslexia and other learning differences.

At DAS, we are proud to have been part of Isha’s journey, and we look forward to seeing how she will continue to contribute her talents in the future.

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